The last time I’ve been to Nook, I noticed Tetsuo was also there, but mistakenly thought it’s a furniture shop. Well actually I wasn’t that wrong as they did sell furniture and home decorations, but I wasn’t completely right either as they’re not limited to a shop, but also a fusion Japanese and Vegan Restaurant at the same time. Sounds unique and exciting? If you’ve just said yes, I couldn’t agree more. Like how Japanese and Vegan could make perfect couple? That question did tickle my curiosity bit too hard.
As expected, I was enchanted by the interior and the stuffs they sold. I knew I wasn’t buying and bringing anything home, but I had always been excited going to such store and simply did window shopping; well perhaps for my future reference? It felt like going to Kimsoo, just that this came in different arrangement. Similar to Nook, dining in here made you feel like going back to the nature despite it was fully air conditioned and you’re in closed indoor area, compared to Nook where you dined below the blue sky and just covered by the simple roof.
Coming after Milu, another ‘sister’ of Nook, Tetsuo did the same thing with its ‘siblings’, serving the early-birds by opening at 8am. So you now had more options to start your day by spoiling your tummy. Way beyond that, not only serving those who’re productive in playing with their time, Tetsuo did come as the savior to those who took the big leap in life by eating right. Most dishes served were plant-based, giving more options for those who chose to go Vegan. Only limited items featured the animal-based proteins, but please don’t get worried as you would always have the option to add that ‘extra happiness’ (read: protein toppings) into your meal.
Vegan Gyoza
Something green to kickstart the early feast, simply because why not??!? I was pretty much hitched by the unique appearance of this appetizer which basically contained tofu and garlic as the stuffing of the dumplings. Taking aside the fact that it’s being too salty and you might not want to dip it into the sauce any longer, it’s overall flavorful and the taste made the carnivores might forget that the ingredient had no meat in it. The skin was moist and I loved the garlicky scent and taste in each bite.
Smashed Avo + Chicken
Actually, this dish was my friend’s, who’s cheating a bit by adding chicken toppings. Despite I didn’t give it a try, she loved it to bits and was happy with her decision to go for this. The avocado was moist and naturally sweet. The additional happiness (read: chicken) balanced the taste well, being savory and tasty.
Aburi Salmon Roll
Both the names and the picture might look familiar as this Japanese sushi menu was indeed pretty common. Simply said, sometimes you came to a restaurant thinking you’re going to try something new and inventive, then you reached there opening the menu book and realized you fell for your all-time favorite ones then decided to still go for that thing. LOL you might laugh cause you just realized it happened, quite too many times!
OK since you might have known what would be featured in the dish, I wouldn’t go much with calling out the contents. Basically I would say Tetsuo’s version was as good as the other I’ve ever tried. The thickness of the rice layer was just right, allowing the sushi to carry generous amount of toppings. I did love the fresh salmon on top, which wasn’t only being the key attention due to its color-contrast, but also because of its rich taste.
Coming to my most favorite for the presentation! It’s like having rainbow in a plate! So much colors and I couldn’t handle the beauty. Not stopping at being good for the sight, the dish was also good for the body - featuring healthy ingredients including jackfruit, smashed avo, and cabbage. Just like the other taco, you would surely get Pico de Gallo and another avo to accompany the main dish. That green skin didn’t taste any veggie and I loved the soft texture. Every single element tasted so fresh and simply complemented each other. I even thought the only thing differentiated the jackfruit and any meat-based protein I usually had for taco, was just the texture. Taste wise, I got the same delicacy and my palate loved it to bits!
Grenadine Squash
As other drinks on the table were basically hot tea, I would just call out this non-mainstream one. Well, I honestly had to admit it’s not something so sophisticated since it’s just Grenadine syrup mixed with soda water. Nonetheless, I bet you could imagine how refreshing it was especially in the midst of the dry and humid Bali, giving a perfect closing to the awesome dining experience.
Tetsuo’s surely a pleasant choice to opt for, if you fancy the experience of having vegan food, but desire something with more twist. Furthermore it helps to solve your problem if you’re on a trip with mixed preferences where someone else wants more ‘sins’ (read: animal-based protein) in the meals, since they answer the demand of all :)
Taste: 8/10
Place: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Thanks for reading! :)
TETSUO
Address: Jl. Umalas I Gang Nook, Kerobokan, Bali
Phone: (+62) 812 3666 6060
Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 11pm
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